HD Herdbook

Nearly 300 individuals converge on Fort Atkinson for judging practice

By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard’s Dairyman Online Media Manager

Nearly 300 attended the judging workout at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm on Sunday morning. Hoard’s Dairyman magazine and farm staff prepared three classes of cows for the judges to evaluate. Teams representing 4-H, post-secondary (2-year technical colleges) and university teams and coaches took the opportunity to get in some last-minute practice before the national contest tomorrow at World Dairy Expo. Read more

The Commercial Herd Award recognizes the top herd in the nation for Energy Corrected Milk. The herd must complete over 50 lactations during the year. Hoard’s Dairyman Farm completed 147 records in 2013 for an average of 21,619M 4.6% 995F 3.4% 737P for an energy corrected total of 25,593M.

Hoard’s Dairyman Farm is owned by the Knox Family and the dairy herd manager is Jason Yurs, the 2008 recipient of the National Outstanding Young Guernsey Farmer award. For many years, Hoard’s Dairyman Farm has been a huge asset to the Guernsey breed through their promotion of the breed and exposure that the Guernseys receive through various tours, seminars and other events hosted by the farm. Also a huge plus is the exposure the breed receives through the Hoard’s Dairyman magazine in homes throughout the world.

The Hoard’s Dairyman Farm provides Guernseys to local 4-H members who show at the Jefferson County Fair.

by Maggie Seiler, Hoard’s Dairyman Editorial Intern

At 7 a.m. on a typical June day, most young people are still in bed enjoying the start to their summer vacation. Members of the Barnyard Clovers 4-H club are not among the late risers. Almost every June morning at 7:00 a.m. on the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, the club members are feeding, watering and cleaning up after their show heifers.

The Barnyard Clovers club members enjoy the look of their freshly bedded show cattle. Club members from left to right include Nick Yunker, Dawson Yurs, Victoria Yurs, Hannah Beckman and Ava Kleman. Members not pictured include Kayla Beckman, Ryan Messler and Aaron Messler.

Efforts of the farm staff were recognized last weekend at the American Guernsey Association’s annual meeting.

by Maggie Seiler, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern

Fort Atkinson’s historic Hoard’s Dairyman Farm was recognized by the American Guernsey Association for having 28 of the 100 top Guernseys nationally for milk and components production. The Association reviewed the farm’s 147 Guernsey lactation records in 2013 to make its ranking.

Of the 28 award-winning cows at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, Dairyman Iceman Rosebowl was recognized as the best of the best by being named the nation’s highest-producing Guernsey cow. The American Guernsey Association’s formal name for these elite cows is “Component Queen.” Read more

With record lows and extended cold snaps, spring is nowhere in sight.

Like many of you, the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm met its match this winter. Amidst frozen feed, frozen pipes and a few calves lost too soon, we’ve battled unpredicted and unforeseen cold.

And, as every member of our farm team can attest, they’re tired.

It’s taken a toll on our 400-plus-cow herd of Guernseys and Jerseys, as well. Production has been steady for most of the winter, averaging 67 to 69 pounds along with a 5.0 percent fat and 3.9 percent protein, but is starting to slowdown.

These high averages enabled the Hoard’s Dairyman herd to excel on national breed production lists this past year. For protein production, the Jersey component of the Fort Atkinson,Wis., based herd is eighth in the nation. Read more

With an average score of 81.5 points and production bumping the 20,000-pound mark, the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Jerseys are performing well.

by Corey Geiger, Hoard's Dairyman Managing Editor

The Hoard Farm team, headed up by Jason Yurs, continues to be pleased with the performance our Jersey herd. This group was evaluated by a pair of American Jersey Cattle Association appraisers on a very cold Thursday in late January.

On that day, the entire herd averaged 81.5 points on the 300-plus head. Had the 25 cows sold weeks earlier to a young dairyman been included in the mix, the average would have been 81.9 points. Read more

A number of young Guernsey bulls, without official proofs, have daughters classified at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm. Average age at first calving is 23.5 months.

by Corey Geiger, Hoard's Dairyman Managing Editor

The Hoard Farm team headed up by Jason Yurs continues to be pleased with the performance of young sires’ daughters. On December 13, a number of young bulls had daughters either scored for the first time . . . or very early in the evaluation process.

Ripley Farms Aaron Cordell, a young bull with 11 daughters in his production proof, has four appraised at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm: 85, 81, 77 and 76, respectively. Cordell’s daughters ranged from 86 to 77 on feet and legs scores, from 86 to 76 in the udder. Read more

University of Kentucky student had hands-on learning on dairy operation.

by Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager

Makenzie Waymeyer completed her 3-month farm internship in early August. She is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in career and technical education, which is the educational path to teaching high school agriculture and serving as an FFA advisor.

Enjoy this short video on Makenzie’s summer at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm.

Picture-day planning starts far in advance.

by Patti Hurtgen, Hoard’s Dairyman Online Media Manager

The Hoard’s Dairyman Farm typically pictures cows at the farm once each year for promotion, marketing and advertising purposes. This generally occurs in summer or fall. This year, a beautiful summer day was the backdrop for 10 cows.

But, before picturing can start, there was a lot of work that went into planning the day’s events. The first item the farm team needed to decide on was which cows would be pictured – those for A.I. companies and for the farm itself. Hoard’s Dairyman Farm uses many young sires and they are frequently photographed as progeny-test daughters to be used by A.I. companies in their marketing projects.